Max Verstappen and Álex Palou are both in top form in their respective championships and one day they could yet meet on a racetrack.

Verstappen is right back in form in F1 while Palou is a five-time IndyCar champion, and both have raced in GT3 racing. The Dutchman is hoping they both take on the same race soon.

Since joining IndyCar, the brilliant 29-year-old Palou has not only competed in prototype races in IMSA and at Le Mans, but has also taken part in two GT3 races.

In 2024, and earlier this month, he raced in the Indianapolis 8 Hour with Lone Star Racing’s Mercedes-AMG. His debut race saw him complete 11 laps less due to a transponder issue. In the 2026 edition of the Indy 8H, he didn’t get to race at all after teammate Lin Hodenius was involved in a crash during the fifth round.

There were rumours that the five-time IndyCar champion might join Verstappen and Chris Lulham at Portimão this weekend, but ultimately, Ben Barnicoat was selected. We will have to wait a little longer for the big clash of the titans.

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Verstappen vs Palou: Max wants it

Verstappen is determined to some day share a racetrack with Palou – whether it is as team-mates sharing a car or as competitors battling each other remains to be seen.

“There are so many skilled drivers with years of experience who race these GT3 cars day in and day out,” the Dutchman explained at Portimao when discussing the challenges of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. You can watch Verstappen in action live all weekend.

Palou revealed before the Indy 8H how much he enjoys the close competition in GT3 racing, even with the cars being very different. Verstappen completely agrees.

“It makes sense that the differences are minimal,” he said.

“Driving this type of car is a bit outside my comfort zone, but I love the challenge. I enjoy competing across a variety of categories.

“As for Alex, we’ve raced online against each other before. We haven’t shared the track in person yet, but I’m definitely looking forward to the day that changes.”

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Haas officially confirmed on Thursday that Rafael Camara is set to make his Formula 1 debut in 2027.

The 21-year-old Brazilian has signed a multi-year contract with the American outfit, though the details of its duration remain under wraps.

With his entry into the top tier, the current leader in the Formula 2 standings will in theory replace 30-year-old Esteban Ocon, whose contract was confirmed not to be renewed after two seasons.

For the 2027 season, Camara stands as the only rookie on the F1 grid. He will partner fellow 21-year-old Oliver Bearman, who is likely to stay on at Haas but it has yet to be confirmed.

Both drivers came through the Ferrari Driver Academy, Ferrari being the supplier of engines and parts for Haas.

After the announcement, Camara expressed his excitement, revealing: “I’m absolutely thrilled to join Haas as a Formula 1 driver. This is a pivotal moment in my career, and I’d like to thank Gene Haas and Ayao Komatsu for their trust.

“I’m also extremely grateful for the support of the Ferrari Driver Academy and my family, who have been there for me every step of the way.”

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Rising toward F1

The Brazilian-born driver’s career took a decisive turn at the end of 2021 when, following several karting titles, he joined the Ferrari Driver Academy.

In 2022, he made the leap to single-seater racing, competing in three different Formula 4 championships. He finished second in the UAE championship and claimed third place in both the Italian and ADAC Formula 4 championships.

A year later, Camara continued his ascent by competing in the Formula Regional Middle East and the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA).

In the Middle East, he secured third place overall in 2023, while finishing fifth in the European FRECA championship.

In 2024, he again finished third in the Formula Regional Middle East before clinching the FRECA title later that year.

He then made his Formula 3 debut with Trident in 2025, winning the championship as a rookie with four wins and five pole positions.

On course for a Formula 2 title

This season, Camara is racing as a rookie in Formula 2 for Invicta Racing.

He currently leads the championship with 207 points, holding a narrow seven-point advantage over closest rival Nikola Tsolov.

So far, he has amassed six podium finishes, including wins in the main races in Spain, Belgium, and Azerbaijan.

If the Invicta Racing driver clinches this year’s Formula 2 title, he will make history as the only competitor to win the FRECA championship, Formula 3, and Formula 2 in consecutive seasons.

Two more Formula 2 race weekends remain this season, though the final rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still under threat due to ongoing issues in the Middle East.

Komatsu impressed After Portimao test

Before signing his contract, Camara took part in a three-day TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) at the Portimao circuit in Portugal last August, driving the VF-25, last year’s car.

Reigning F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli and Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa also participated in these evaluation sessions.

Team principal Komatsu highlighted that Camara’s performance in Portugal was a key factor in their decision.

“I’m extremely excited that we’ve secured such a young and exceptional talent like Rafael Camara,” he said.

“His achievements in the junior categories speak for themselves. During our TPC program, he quickly adapted to the car, showing that he’s capable of much more than just raw speed.”

Komatsu added: “Rafa created an environment that allowed him to perform at his best – each lap was remarkable. We’re eager to support and foster his growth at Haas by providing a nurturing environment.”

Team owner Haas echoed these sentiments, stating: “I’m looking forward to seeing what Rafael Camara can accomplish in F1, especially given his strong performances in Formula 3 and now in Formula 2.

“The challenges at this level are different, but as we saw with Ollie Bearman, a driver on a similar path from the Ferrari Driver Academy, these young talents are well-prepared and can immediately make a significant impact.”

Camara’s short sighted issue

One issue Camrara does have is his eyesight. He is short sighted (myopia) with a prescription of 2.75 and 2.50 and he has an astigmatism too.

Basically, he isn’t going to be seeing corners coming up very well on a race track without assistance… which thankfully he does have with standard contact lenses good enough for him to see perfectly well.

This shouldn’t stop him from having the potential to reach the very top of F1 – even Jacques Villeneuve won the world championship in 1997 wearing glasses under his crash helmet.

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Sad news for brand new business-brained American F1 fans who have have seen a few clips of Drive to Survive: the Las Vegas Grand Prix will not matter this season.

Kimi Antonelli might not wrap up the 2026 drivers’ championship next time out in Austin (although there’s a chance), but it’s almost impossibly unlikely that the title will be on the line by the time F1 rocks up in the Nevada desert.

The solution? Move the Las Vegas Grand Prix to a relevant date so that it gets the champagne moment, obviously. Because Las Vegas (?) deserves (?) that more than other races (???), thanks to its…well, it can’t be because of the great racing or the history of the circuit, actually. There’s probably a reason in there somewhere.

Long-time Vegas-based sports TV figure Chris Maathuis has warned that Antonelli wrapping the title up a week before cars hit the Strip is ‘not good for F1’, calling for the race to be moved to a ‘relevant weekend’.

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F1 doomed to repeat mistakes of chasing American audience

He went on to follow up with a complaint that the F1 championship setup is ‘silly’ for letting a driver wrap up the title before the last race of the year, before being reminded that gambling exists. ‘Yes!!’ he said. ‘Didn’t factor in the betting angle. Now there is reason to stay engaged to the end’.

As tempting as it is to use the rest of the word count to dunk on this one specific guy, that would miss a broader point. That broader point being: this is the kind of audience that F1 is trying desperately to court in the US.

This is an audience completely subservient to the American way of doing things, complaining about the lack of an artificially dramatic postseason (i.e. the way that all sports work outside the US), and that a shiny but hollow American spectacle isn’t being given the special big boy treatment.

These aren’t F1 fans. These will never be F1 fans, because the product you’re trying to sell them is anathema to them. Congratulations, you’ve created a group of ‘fans’ who don’t watch your races but will complain about them anyway.

But hey, at least maybe they’ll bet on it.

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